India Trip 2009 - Episode 2
City infrastructures
There are many stretches of roads in Chennai that have been built new and still maintained very neatly with regulated traffic. At other places, (just step outside airport), the condition of roads remain the same as before or even worse. The same people form the state government again and again and still there is no persistent progress. "singara chennai" says the bill boards but the spirit is forgotten or purposely ignored. Every wall in the city carries a political flavour - Self praises and birthday wishes for their thalapathys and varungala muthalvars. The phrase 'painting the city red' doesn't mean this sort of scribbling! I have never lived in Chennai for long so my observations with respect to any specific landmark is limited.
The boom of software services industry from the 90's has increased the inflation tremendously. To me, who is not a software person, prices of commodities came as a shock. I am glad I am able to provide for my mom. Touch wood. The divide between haves and havenots has broadened so much that I am still wondering how the poor are managing! Has the government services and other non-software companies (old economy companies like IOCL, BHEL) increased their pay scale comparable to that of software industry? If not, I would postulate that bribery and corruption at higher levels must have only increased, now especially owing to this economic divide. Whatever progress like digitizing of government records, faster information flow that IT cud bring into government services for common man would be hindered by the same industry. I didn't have any chance to personally see and experience if the government is really transparent or if any government services (like registration of property) has improved. May be, I should feel thankful. No comments on this.
There are many stretches of roads in Chennai that have been built new and still maintained very neatly with regulated traffic. At other places, (just step outside airport), the condition of roads remain the same as before or even worse. The same people form the state government again and again and still there is no persistent progress. "singara chennai" says the bill boards but the spirit is forgotten or purposely ignored. Every wall in the city carries a political flavour - Self praises and birthday wishes for their thalapathys and varungala muthalvars. The phrase 'painting the city red' doesn't mean this sort of scribbling! I have never lived in Chennai for long so my observations with respect to any specific landmark is limited.
The boom of software services industry from the 90's has increased the inflation tremendously. To me, who is not a software person, prices of commodities came as a shock. I am glad I am able to provide for my mom. Touch wood. The divide between haves and havenots has broadened so much that I am still wondering how the poor are managing! Has the government services and other non-software companies (old economy companies like IOCL, BHEL) increased their pay scale comparable to that of software industry? If not, I would postulate that bribery and corruption at higher levels must have only increased, now especially owing to this economic divide. Whatever progress like digitizing of government records, faster information flow that IT cud bring into government services for common man would be hindered by the same industry. I didn't have any chance to personally see and experience if the government is really transparent or if any government services (like registration of property) has improved. May be, I should feel thankful. No comments on this.
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